Kanye West: 'I'd like fewer followers'

Kanye West has revealed that he would prefer to have a small number of devoted fans rather than a large mainstream following.

The singer, whose latest album 808 And Heartbreaks sees him deviate from traditional genre conventions, confessed in an interview that he feels restricted by his level of fame.

"I want the freedom of having less fans. It's like the freedom of having less money. If you have less money, you have less responsibility. It's like Bjork. If she wanted to pose naked, you'd be like: 'Oh, that's Bjork,'" he told Vibe.

"If I wanted to pose naked, people would draw all type of things into it. I definitely feel like, in the next however many years, if I work out for two months, that I'll pose naked. I break every rule and mentality of hip-hop, of black culture, of American culture."

West also told the publication that he would not criticise his contemporaries, but praised a number of acts. He said: "I believe Beyoncé is the greatest performer of our generation.

"I believe I am the greatest entertainer of this generation. I go neck-and-neck on Jay-Z and [Lil] Wayne as far as who's the best lyricist. Jay-Z has longevity."